Friends with Money (2006)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Nicole Holofcener

Writer (WGA):

Nicole Holofcener (written by)

Release Date:

7 April 2006 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

After she quits her lucrative job, Olivia finds herself unsure about her future and her relationships with her successful and wealthy friends.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Maid | Wealthy | Teacher | Als

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Catherine Keener	...	Christine
Jason Isaacs	...	David
Timm Sharp	...	Richard
Joan Cusack	...	Franny
Greg Germann	...	Matt
Hailey Noelle Johnson	...	Tammy
Simon McBurney	...	Aaron
Frances McDormand	...	Jane
Jake Cherry	...	Wyatt
Jennifer Aniston	...	Olivia
Bob Stephenson	...	Marty
Marin Hinkle	...	Maya
Scott Caan	...	Mike
Troy Ruptash	...	Brad
Elizabeth Keener	...	Lancome Saleswoman

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:M18 | Germany:o.Al. | USA:R (certificate #42071) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | France:U | South Korea:15 | South Africa:13LS

Filming Locations:

855 S. Serrano Street, Koreatown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

This Is That Productions

Trivia:

During the scene outside the restaurant where Mike and Olivia have their date, if you look closely you can see a black fuzzy mass on the patio of the House of Pies restaurant across the street. According to Nicole Holofcener on the DVD commentary, those were all members of the paparazzi.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Jane and Olivia start walking away from the orange stand at the farmer's market, a steadicam operator appears to fall into shot. It is a man with a large belt, plus what looks like camera equipment, visible on the right hand side of the scene.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Richard: So the corrugated metal not only reflects the beauty of the common, off-the-shelf material but also emphasizes the invisible line between the old and the new construction.
Christine: Wait. There'll be a line?
Richard: It's invisible.
David: Just let him finish.
Christine: Oh, sorry.

Movie Connections:

References "Dragon Ball Z: Doragon bôru zetto" (1989)

Soundtrack:

World Spins Madly On

Woody Allen in slow-mo, but McDormand shines

"Friends with Money" is Americana the sit-com way: it is about older, (much) more monied, West Coast clones of TV's loathsome "Friends." Although it appears a slow-mo imitation of Woody Allen at his talkiest, the film does well. The reason: a quartet of actresses having a ball.

Nicole Holofcener's script and direction are merely OK: a medium-funny, not very insightful soap about three couples and a single woman (Jennifer Anniston), who is younger than her six friends, jobless, aimless, sloppy and rather annoying. Of the three husbands, only Simon McBurney is outstanding, but he really is, the English actor turning in a wonderful performance as a super-nice metrosexual.

Anniston does her best, which here works better than in any of her other roles. But "Friends with Money" is worth seeing because of - in order - Frances McDormand's huge star turn, with her unsuppressed rage turning into petty, ordinary rudeness; Catherine Keener, sleepwalking through affluence; and Joan Cusack, as a nice mega-rich woman without guilt or troubling thoughts.

The pace is glacial and steady; after a while, the film settles into a pleasant, moderately quirky flow, until a sudden and inconclusive end. Through it all, performances are to be enjoyed, and in McDormand's case, treasured. Never again will you be able go without washing your hair and not think of Frances McDormand.